


Starlight, Starbright

by IsaacTheGreat69



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Human AU, M/M, Some Swearing, soulmate AU (drawing on the skin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 14:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16620848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsaacTheGreat69/pseuds/IsaacTheGreat69
Summary: Virgil didn’t want to meet his soulmate. He didn’t want that instant, flowing love. He was too scared that he would disappoint them, that they’d be stuck in a loveless relationship with no out just because society dictated that soulmates were forever.





	Starlight, Starbright

**Author's Note:**

> a little gift I wrote for dead4sevenyears' birthday

His parents had told Virgil about soulmates when he was eight. They’d sat him down on a Saturday morning, cartoons waiting on the TV in the living room as they told him to sit on his bed. He’d thought he was in trouble for drawing in class again, but instead of giving him a lecture on how he needs to pay better attention in class, they’d explained that everyone had a special someone out there for him. They explained that this special someone had a link with him, and that this link became stronger when he was nine. **  
**

His parents demonstrated this by pulling out pens, drawing on their arms and showing it to Virgil. Virgil watched the matching hearts appear on their forearms with wide eyes, and his mother smiled. She continued to explain that soulmates were meant to be forever, and that when Virgil met his, he’d fall in love with them instantly. She’d been smiling so kindly, happy to see that her son was so interested in this. In reality, he was freaking out. He didn’t want the universe to decide who he should love. He didn’t want to fall in love with someone without having a decision in the matter, or be forced to live with them for the rest of his life.

His parents had left his room, and young Virgil decided on that pleasant Saturday morning that he wouldn’t meet his soulmate, because he wanted to have a choice.

* * *

Virgil sat on his bed, leaning back against the headboard as he listened to music and scrolled through Tumblr on his phone. His forearm started to tingle, and he pulled the sleeve of his hoodie up to look at it. Lines in deep blue ink slowly started to form on his skin, forming the chemical compound for dopamine. Virgil only knew that because his soulmate had been drawing the same picture every morning for the last ten years, and he’d looked it up. He sighed, going back to his phone.

In the ten years since his soulmate had written their first “ **Hello?** ”, Virgil had never once drawn on his skin. He had no interest in communicating with his soulmate, and had hoped that his resolute silence would make them stop. It didn’t, though. These daily doodles of dopamine, Virgil had determined, were his soulmate’s way of wishing him a good day. When they were younger, he’d constantly draw or write messages to Virgil, but somewhere between his fourteenth and fifteenth birthdays, the messages became less, “ **How are you?** ” or “ **Do you like dogs?** ” and more, “ **Starbucks on 5th Street, Larington, FL** ”. He’d always look up the address, but he never went.

His arm started to tingle again, and he tried not to look, he really did. He glanced down when it stopped, reading the same neat deep blue handwriting.

**I start college tomorrow. Twin Rivers College in Larington, FL. If you live nearby, maybe we’ll run into each other.**

Virgil frowned at his arm. That was his college. Should he write back?

_No, never. Don’t bother, they’d never like you anyways, and you’d be dooming the both of you to a life of false love until you die._

Virgil pulls his sleeve down and shoves earbuds in his ears.

* * *

Logan locked his car, grabbing his backpack and shutting the door. He glanced at the fading ink on his arm with a small sigh. He hadn’t gotten an answer yesterday, but then again that was the norm. He had considered many times when he was younger that he had no soulmate - it was rare, but still possible - but once in a while a pen mark that he knew he hadn’t made would appear on his hand, arm, or knee, and he knew that his soulmate probably knocked their skin with their pen by accident. It gave him hope; he wasn’t one to believe in fate or destiny, but he liked to think that if he had a soulmate, they’d find each other whether they communicated or not.

His dad had told him that his soulmate might be anxious to talk to him, or depressed, so when Logan had learned about dopamine he’d looked up the structure and started drawing it on his forearm every morning. It was sort of his way of telling his soulmate that it was okay, he understood, and he hoped they were okay. He never stopped writing to them in the hopes that one day they’d finally reply, letting them know when he was going somewhere in case they felt up to meeting him there (assuming he was lucky enough that they lived near him). No one ever came, but that was okay.

He walked through campus, looking at all the bared forearms that caught his eye, trying to look for a copy of the fading picture on his own arm. He made his way to the library, sitting at a table by himself and looking around. No drawings. He pulls out his blue pen, re-inking the dopamine structure on his arm before taking a book out of his bag to read. He had about an hour before his first class, so he might as well read.

* * *

Virgil had gotten to the college entirely too early, too anxious to be late, or not have time to eat. He sat in the library, closer to the wall by himself, scrolling through his phone. Someone walked in and sat at the only empty table close to him, but he tried not to pay them any mind. His arm started to tingle, but he’d already resolved to ignore it. It was probably a question about if he was going to college too, or more dopamine. It was nice, but he already felt like crap for avoiding them when they were this close; he couldn’t pretend they were in a different city or state, anymore.

He checks the time, seeing that it was getting pretty close to noon. He might as well go grab lunch, right? He grabs his backpack and tosses it over his shoulder, gripping the strap and heading out. The tingling sensation hasn’t gone away for some reason, so Virgil pulls his sleeve up, scratching at the skin lightly. Someone suddenly grabs his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks, and he turns to ask _just what the hell they think they’re doing_  when a flash of blue catches his eyes. The same drawing he’s seen on his arm for years is reflected back at him, and his eyes widen.  _Oh no_.

He ran.

* * *

Logan watched the terror drain the color from his soulmate’s face, turning and running out of the library. A feeling of guilt washed over him as he sat back down. He shouldn’t have just grabbed him like that, especially considering his soulmate’s hesitance to answer him for all these years. He turns back to his book, but he finds he can’t focus. His soulmate’s face keeps flashing behind his eyelids, drawing his focus. Maybe he should try something else, if he ever runs into him again.

* * *

The next week and a half are the most tense, anxious days of Virgil’s life as he tries to keep his head down. He rushes when he walks across campus, avoiding the library at all costs, and doesn’t stay in one spot for long if he can help it. He doesn’t want to risk running into his soulmate. The look on his face is burned into the back of Virgil’s retinas; the barely concealed hope in his eyes, lips parted like he wanted to speak but couldn’t form the words, eyebrows raised in surprise. Virgil swore under his breath as his heart rate picked up, but it wasn’t from anxiety. This isn’t good, you’re already falling for him. You can never see him again, you’re going to ruin his life.

Virgil sits at a table in the corner of the cafeteria, facing the room so he can keep an eye out while he munches on crappy cafeteria food. He’s almost done eating when he sees his soulmate from across the room, looking right at him and walking over.  _Oh shit, oh fuck, abort abort abort-_

* * *

Logan stands in front of his soulmate, hands clasped behind him to hide his fidgeting. He sucks in a breath through his nose and speaks before the other can start running. “I’m terribly sorry for my conduct over a week ago. The way I approached you was not acceptable, and I have realized my mistake. I am sorry for scaring you like that, and… If you would like, I would like to be friends.”

His soulmate looks up at him in slight surprise. “…Friends?” Logan nods. “Yes. While most of society deems soulmates to be a definite, lifelong romantic commitment, I believe it is important to get to know one first before commiting to a relationship.” His soulmate seemed to relax at his words, and he knew he’d said the right thing. He gestures to the chair in front of him. “May I sit?” His soulmate nods, and Logan sits, holding out a hand. “I am Logan Abbott, and you?” The other hesitantly takes his hand. “…Virgil Shae.”

“So, Virgil, do you like dogs? You never answered my question.” Virgil’s eyes widen slightly and he laughs, making Logan smile.

* * *

Logan opened the door to his apartment, sighing as he shrugged off his coat and hung it up. “Virgil, I’m ho-.” He called into the house, only to be cut off when something barreled into his side. He looked down at a head of purple hair, smiling softly and hugging Virgil. “Hello to you too.”

“You’re late.”

Logan sighs. “Yes, I’m afraid I needed to finish the last details on my project before I could leave. I apologize.” Virgil leaned up and gave Logan a brief kiss, both men closing their eyes. “It’s okay. You hungry?” Logan nods, and Virgil leads him to the kitchen where the table’s already been set with dinner, candles, hell even a tablecloth and placemats. Logan raises an eyebrow. “What’s all this?” Virgil looks up at him, slightly confused.

“It’s our two-year anniversary, Lo.”

Logan’s eyes widen with realization. “I’m terribly sorry, my starlight, I seem to have forgotten.” He felt awful; not only had he kept Virgil waiting, but on their  _anniversary_ , no less. Virgil shrugs, smiling slightly. “It’s no big deal, Lo, I promise.” They share another kiss before sitting, eating dinner and talking about their days. It’s all terribly domestic, and Logan loves it. He loves Virgil. He listens to Virgil talk about someone at the vet who wouldn’t leave the kitten room, gesticulating a little wildly, his expression exasperated, and Logan feels like he’s falling for Virgil all over again.

He feels the small box in his pocket, thinking. He carried it around with him in case a good moment arose to bring it out (and because he was worried Virgil might find it while cleaning), but no such luck had occurred yet. Virgil snrks at something he remembers as he tells his story, and Logan decides to go for it. He’s waited six months to do this, and tonight seemed like the perfect time. He interrupts Virgil with an apologetic smile. “Virgil, I need to discuss something with you.” Virgil’s mouth shuts and he lowers his hands, placing them in his lap. Logan knows he’s picking at his cuticles in a nervous habit, and he wishes he could grab Virgil’s hands to stop him but he needs to do this before he chickens out. He nods to himself, looking at Virgil.

“Virgil… These have been the best two years of my life. I would even argue that the past seven have been the best; since I met you, my world has changed. You have taught me the importance of patience, the value of empathy, and the care in loving someone. You keep me out of my head, and help me to appreciate what I have. Every day I spend with you is another day happier than I was before I met you, and every day I fall more in love with you. I want to be there for you when you’re stressed or anxious, when the world becomes too much and you just want it to all stop. I want to be there when you’re overcome with joy, when you’re enjoying the calm, when you need a shoulder or an ear or just a companion to share the silence. I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life. I want you to always be the one I fall asleep next to. I want to come home to your smile every day, to get your texts reminding me to stay safe when I get off work. I want to grow old with you. Virgil… would you marry me?”

Logan had moved to crouch at a knee beside Virgil’s chair somewhere during his speech, looking up at Virgil as he held the ring in his hand. Virgil stared down at him with shocked eyes, tears dripping black eyeshadow down his cheeks and a hand clamped over his mouth. He takes it away to respond, clenching it in his lap as he looks down at Logan. “Y-you’re going to regret this one day. You’re going to get sick of me, and you’ll resent me because soulmates can’t divorce.”

Logan smiles at Virgil sadly, shaking his head. “Never, my starlight. I will always love you, with all of my heart.” Virgil lets out a choked sob, searching Logan’s face. Logan looks at him with all of the love in the world, and Virgil knows he means what he says. He nods, giving a shaky smile. “Y-yeah, okay. Yes.” Logan smiles brightly, a smile to rival Patton’s usual iridescent smile, and slips the ring onto Virgil’s ring finger. He stands, helping Virgil to his feet, and move to the couch. Virgil cuddles into Logan’s side as they sit in silence, studying the ring chilling his finger.

“Hey Lo?”

Logan looks down at Virgil. “Yes?”

Virgil looks up at Logan, kissing him briefly before pulling back with a small smile. “I love you.”

Logan smiles and kisses the top of Virgil’s head. “I love you too, my starlight.”


End file.
